Guard Dog
by drinkingteawithhellhounds
Summary: OneShot: Dick uses Titus to explain why Damian is a more than adequate Robin.- "Think about it, he absolutely adores Alfred, and he loves us." "I suppose it would explain why he doesn't like Drake, he can sense his sheer idiocy."


**AN: This one goes out to SakuraTenshi39062 by some-time beta-reader all time friend and comic book buddy. Happy (Belated) Birthday.**

Guard Dog

By the time Dick had reached the Manor the cold was beginning to set in and it was with numb fingers that he slipped his key in to the lock, turned it, and pushed the heavy front door open.  
He had barely closed it again when the clock on a side table chimed.  
Dick yawned widely and checked his watch, the hands pointed to three thirty-five in the morning. There was a rush of air and a fresh wave of rain slammed against the outside walls, making the whole house shiver, and a small whimper from the floor in the corner, a noise disproportionate to the hulking creature who made it.  
"Hey Titus." Dick knelt by the dog and tickled him behind the ears.  
Titus perked up and wagged his tail, Dick smiled and made his way down the hall to the stairs, passing several open doors, he'd barely put on foot on the bottom step when; "Grayson?"  
Dick backtracked and found himself at the door of Bruce's study; "Damian?"  
He heard surprise entering his voice as he caught sight of his youngest brother, looking very much like something along the lines of a drowned kitten, hair limp and damp from rain that must have fallen hours ago, but was still pounding on the windows, and eyes blurred but alight with fear.  
"Damian, are you okay?" Dick asked.  
Damian gave a non-committal shrug of the shoulders as he replied; "Of course, Grayson, why wouldn't I be?"  
Dick tilted his head; "Let's see... You're sleeping in Bruce's study, you look like you've just rolled out of bed, you're not on patrol, you look dead on your feet and you've been crying."  
At this last comment Dick gestured to the telltale tear-tracks on his youngest brother's cheeks.  
"Wanna tell me what's wrong?"  
Damian shrugged once again and sat back down on the couch. "Father doesn't consider me a worthy partner."  
Dick arched an eyebrow and seat himself next to the eleven year old; "Oh?"  
Damian nodded, not meeting Dick's eye; "He said I had been careless and that if I was going to make mistakes I had no business joining him as he patrolled the city, and then he told me to go home while he finished the patrol himself."  
Damian hung his head and, despite risking a severe round of verbal abuse, Dick put an arm around his shoulders, to his very great surprise, Damian didn't protest and, taking this as a positive Dick reached down to the floor to retrieve the boy's duvet, lying in a crumpled heap on the rug.  
"You're entirely worthy, Dami, and don't let anyone tell you different."  
Damian frowned slightly, but allowed his eldest brother to cocoon him in layers of blanket; "But father..."  
Dick smiled; "And who worked with you longer and can therefore better judge your worthiness?"  
Dick stood and crossed to a cupboard, pulling out a second blanket, he rejoined his brother on the couch.  
Dick hung the blanket around his own shoulders and pulled Damian back into a hug, shrouding them both in warmth, but before either one of them could say anything more there was a small whimper from the doorway.  
"Titus..." Damian's voice was barely more than a drowsy whisper, "You shouldn't..."  
But the sentence was never finished, as next minute Dick had given a small whistle and tapped the cushion beside him; "Here boy."  
Titus obeyed, and with surprising grace, picked his way over to Damian, licked his face, and returned to tue other end of the couch where he curled up next to Dick.  
The eldest brother laughed slightly and kicked off his shoes, before hoisting his feet up under his blanket and saying; "Another thing, dogs are great judges of character, so Titus wouldn't like you if you were unworthy."  
"That's bullshit Grayson."  
Dick raised his eyebrows; "Really? Think about it for a sec, he absolutely adores Alfred, and he loves us."  
Damian's eyebrows, just above the line of his duvet, furrowed; "I suppose it would explain why he doesn't like Drake, maybe he can sense his sheer stupidity."  
Dick smiled "I'm gonna stick with a 'no comment.' on that one."  
"The fact that he has a larger brain than every member of Drake's team, perhaps excluding Ravager, combined doesn't change the fact that he shouldn't be in father's study." Damian said.  
"When Bruce asks you can blame me if you like." Dick said.  
Damian's head lolled slightly and his muffle speech came out more of a whisper; "You think I'd wait for your permission?"  
Dick laughed slightly and rested his cheek in Damian's hair. Within minutes the two were fast asleep; and this was how Bruce found them three hours later when he returned from patrol, with Titus still alert beside them, he patted the guard dog's head.  
"Good boy." He almost smiled.


End file.
